More thanks go out to Amy who wrote most of the devotional thoughts that accompanied the website. Thanks to Diane, Kate, and Ross for working tirelessly on the trip. Thanks to Tim S. who prepped communion for Day One. Thanks to Sue S. for preparing lunch for us on Day Two, even if it was in Shrewsbury. Thanks to all the churches who opened their doors to us. I don’t think we broke anything, but sorry if we did. And thanks to the parents for trusting us with your kids, writing letters to them, and for your comments and emails along the way.

For any friends of Secret Sojourners who have been following along on our journey, we extend an open invitation to Salem Covenant Church youth group events. We strive (though imperfectly) to be a community that supports one another in living out the call of Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves. We welcome you to explore what that might mean for each of us wherever you’re at on that journey. For more information, contact Mike at mnyman@mac.com or ask the friend who’s already part of our community. Thanks for following along.

Alright, so I know we still have Sunday, but today was really the last one. Mike has already told us that tomorrow will solely be traveling, so after this sleep is all that will be happening. Anyway, this morning we awoke at Peninsula Covenant Church, not knowing what to expect. All we got out of Mike was that today would be emotionaly hard on most, if not all of us.

When we finally got our mission, we found that we would be helping out at San Francisco Safe House, a recovery home for women. The home was equiped to help women leave lives of prostitution and get back on their feet. Our guide for the day was a day worker at safe house, and we heard some personal stories from several of the women in the house.

After a very warm welcome involving snacks, we were ready to go into the community for an outreach program. Outside, we walked around the neighborhood handing out toiletries and protein bars to the homeless people on the street. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but to see these people flock to where we were, showed that what we were doing was right.

No sooner than we had begun, all of the stuff we were giving out was gone. Seeing this, we packed up the vans and headed towards Grace Cathedral. The space was huge, and the stone work magnificent. It was hard to beleive that the church was built over one hundred years ago. Now by this time, all of us were starving. Thinking quickly, our guide headed us in the direction of a nearby taqueria where the food was amazing.

After saying goodbye to safe house, and our guide, it was time for the beach. Though the winds were whipping and the water freezing we all seemed to have a good time. The trip to the beach was short due to the sand flying everywhere but fishermans wharf was waiting for us next. When we arived there, the glowing lights of Girahdeli Square welcomed us in with a smell of warm chocolate. The night was filled with laughter, side street shops and chocolate.

When it was over, we headed back to Peninsula Ccovenant for what we thought would be sleep. However due to a three o’clock wake up time all of us decided to stay up until it was time to leave. The night went quickly and soon we were back on the vans.

So now we are on the plane with a delay into jfk. With the way it is looking we probably won’t get home until after midnight. On the other hand, all of us are still having a blast. See you all very soon,

~Jake~

Fly to JFK via Virgin America Flight 235, then pick up the vans and head for home. ETA at the church: 9PM.

Start: 3560 Farm Hill Blvd., Redwood City CA 94061
End: 215 E. Mountain St., Worcester MA 01606
Google Map
Miles traveled this mission: 2784
Total miles traveled: 6587. The diameter of the earth is 7,926.41 miles.

When we woke up inside the student center of Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City, all of us were brimming with energy. We were running to the showers, talking excitedly, and even juggling a soccer ball right out side the door. Soon, Mike called us in for our next mission, and we rushed in to see what we would be doing. For today we would be heading to the Presentation Conference and Retreat Center in Los Gatos. Here, we would be experiencing a day of silence and tranquility, while at the same time looking deeper inside ourselves.

When we first arrived at the center, it looked like one building, surrounded by dust. As we stepped out of he vans, some more detail fell into place, but not much. Mike went inside the yellow, dust covered building, and soon reemerged with an very nice little old woman. After introductions, this lady showed us around the property, and in doing so, we found that this retreat center was much more than one building and dust. The whole place was filled with green forest, vividly colored flowers, and many tranquil animals. The main building that we had seen before also had much more to it than what we had perceived at first. Inside we found that the entire thing was made eco-friendly green.

Moving into the day, all of us split off to start the silence. Some went into the shade to cool off. Some went down to the lack to stare at the green water. Others stayed at the pool to lounge. Either way, the quiet was calming, and the surroundings were soothing. All the way around the day was amazing. By two we were swimming in the pool, and then by three we were back out into the silence. This time there was a twist though. Mike handed all of us letters form you, our parents and told us to go back out and reflect on those words. In the end, the entire experience was quite emotional and absolutely great.

After the silence, our next mission came at us. As Mike put it, “In sharp contrast to the quiet and solitude you’ve experienced, head to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for an evening of loudness.” Just from that, you can tell that the night would be extremely fun.

The Boardwalk was filled with games, rides, food, music and people, (As you will see later, Jordan had a great time on the roller coaster!) Blue Oyster Cult played on the beach, and the food was just as greasy as the stuff at Sterling fair back home. All in all, the night was a blast, and I know all of us will remember this day.

After the fun, our next mission came out, saying that we were heading back to Peninsula Covenant Church for a good, and long nights sleep. Now the trip is almost over, and all of us are torn between the want to stay and the want to go home. Either way, see you all soon.

~Jake~

After enjoying the evening at Ocean Beach, head back to Peninsula Covenant Church, where we’ll get a good night’s sleep before starting the journey home.

Start: 559 Ellis Street, San Francisco CA 94109
Miles traveled this mission:
Total miles traveled: 3699

Time for next mission: 4:30 AM PDT. Once again, this is not a typo.

What differences do you see in the lifestyle being experienced by the prostitutes in this area and the seniors you met yesterday?

Is love a part of their lifestyle?

What things in our culture direct people to this type of life?

How many things do we have in common with them?

What trends do you see in our culture that influence you to make decisions against love? What things influence you to make positive choices?

What things have changed/ are changing in the lives of the women at the safe house? Why?

How has your view of prostitution changed after this experience?

The mission of SafeHouse is to provide a clean and sober living community to empower homeless women who have been working in prostitution to attain needed skills and resources in order to grow and become independent and self-sufficient members of society. We’ll be meeting with some of the residents of SafeHouse and they’ll be taking us on a tour of the surrounding neighborhood. The items we purchased in the last mission will be a gift to the women of SafeHouse.

Start: 555 9th Street, San Francisco CA 94103
End: 559 Ellis Street, San Francisco CA 94109
Google Map
Miles traveled this mission: 1
Total miles traveled: 3699

Website

Time for next mission: 5:00 PM PDT

Go on a shopping spree at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Strange, but true. And not really a spree, but some nice dishware.

Start: 3560 Farm Hill Blvd., Redwood City CA 94061
End: 555 9th Street, San Francisco CA 94103
Google Map
Miles traveled this mission: 30
Total miles traveled: 3698

Time for next mission: 12:00 PM PDT